Sometimes You Just Need Your Blankie

Christian was my first blankie baby.  My older two never became attached to one, but he was passionately attached.  It was his best friend and I cursed that blanket many, many times when it's disappearance led to delayed nap/bed times or temper tantrums.  In fact, when Christian stuffed it in the downstairs utility sink and then forgot he did that, I really wasn't sad it was gone.  Christian never really got over the loss of blankie.  For months he would frequently sigh and say, "I wonder where blankie is.  I miss him."  When I discovered him by accident, I made sure not to tell Christian.  I know that makes me sound like a monster but I was so relieved that I wasn't spending every evening scouring the house looking for the stupid, mangy thing.  It had become so threadbare, it was disgusting. I quickly hid it away in my closet and only a couple years later did I "magically discover" blankie again.  By this point Christian had matured and although he was thrilled to find blankie again, he understood that he needed to remain in bed and he never went missing again.  He's still a nightly companion, but no longer a day-time one.  Now, 10 years later, I have another little blankie obsessed little boy.  Peter adores his blankie.  Every morning when I go into his room, I can't just pick him up.  I also have to pick up blankie and the three of us cuddle together on the couch.  Then blankie has to come into the living room with us to say good morning to everyone else and then he goes around the house with Peter.  Today Peter had a hard day.  He is transitioning naps from 2/day to 1 and some days he's fine and some days are awful.  Today his morning nap was only 30 minutes so he got tired long before bed time, but didn't want to go to sleep again.  So we suffered tired Peter for several hours.  By 5pm he was too tired to eat and too hungry to sleep and a complete wreck of a baby.  I tried and tried to help him one way or another, but he wasn't having any of it.  He just wanted to scream. I was trying to make dinner and I was getting frustrated, so I picked up blankie and tossed it on his head just to dampen the noise.  When I looked back over, I saw this

His favorite way to cuddle with blankie is to take a corner into this mouth and suck on it while he cuddles with the rest.  He did this for about a minute and then he started playing with his toys, tear free.  It only lasted about 5-10 minutes, but it was so cute how just a little time with blankie was such a comfort.  I guess there are good things about blankies.